Partnership with Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation signed to help deliver ELITE in Turkey

ELITE is London Stock Exchange Group’s international programme for ambitious high growth businesses

350 companies, 150 advisors, and 100 investors now part of growing ELITE community

London Stock Exchange Group today welcomes a further 15 companies to ELITE, its innovative support programme for inspiring growth businesses. For the first time, four companies from Turkey and one from Bosnia & Herzegovina have joined ELITE, bringing the total number of participating countries to 23.

The 15 new businesses represent a diverse range of sectors including a peer-to-peer lending platform, IT security management provider and wine producer. They come from across Europe, Israel, Russia and Turkey. From today, 350 companies are part of the growing ELITE community, generating over €30 billion in combined revenues and accounting for over 120,000 jobs across Europe and beyond.

To support the development of ELITE in Turkey, ELITE has signed an agreement with the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TURKONFED), to work together to deliver ELITE training modules locally.

Luca Peyrano, Head of Continental Europe Primary Markets, LSEG today welcomes the new ELITE company CEOs to open trading on London’s markets, alongside Niall Bohan, European Commission Head of Unit in charge of Capital Markets Union.

Niall Bohan, European Commission Head of Unit in charge of Capital Markets Union said:“Europe needs to get much better at linking innovative, high-growth companies with the capital that can support them at every stage of development. It also needs to foster a stronger equity culture which provides new opportunities for capital-raising companies and investors. These are the core objectives of the Commission's push to achieve a true Capital Markets Union for all 28 EU Member States. That is why the European Commission is very supportive of programmes such as ELITE which nurture the next generation of large European job-creators.”

Raffaele Jerusalmi, Director of Capital Markets, London Stock Exchange Group said:“The European Commission’s pioneering Capital Markets Union work confirms what we have known for a long time – fast growing SMEs hold the keys to unlocking more innovation, more jobs and more opportunities across Europe and beyond.

“Through ELITE, we look forward to continuing to support the best and brightest SMEs and we warmly welcome the new companies joining us today.”

Designed to help businesses prepare and structure for their next stage of growth, ELITE facilitates company access to a full range of funding options; increases company profile and visibility; promotes relationships and opportunities with potential investors; and supports management best practice and entrepreneurship.

An example of the ongoing collaboration between ELITE and the financial community includes a partnership with UniCredit, the Italian global banking and financial services company, with a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Together, ELITE and UniCredit are working together to attract new companies, specifically from CEE countries, to ELITE.

Earlier this month, ELITE was launched by Casablanca Stock Exchange in Morocco, marking the first time the programme was rolled out in partnership with another exchange and outside of Europe.